Foot-and-mouth threat to tourism

Up to 100,000 jobs in the tourism
industry could be at risk due to the impact of the foot-and-mouth outbreak,
according to the CIPD’s chief economist.

John Philpott told
Personnel Today that the disease would cause more harm to the UK’s economy in the
short term than the effect of the slowdown in the States.

He said, "The
majority of people employed in farming are the farmers themselves rather than
hired workers, and they will take a knock in income.

"Tourism is a
much bigger employment sector. There are 1.8 million people employed in tourism
in the UK – you only need to have one in 20 affected to have 100,000 people
with their livelihoods under threat.

"The good news is
it a temporary effect lasting over the spring and the summer, but it might
cause a rise in unemployment."